Reach Out to the Truth
by JuneMermaid03
Summary: Like a shard of ice crystal, Elsa has facets: queen, sorceress, sister. But who is Elsa underneath those labels? And what will she do if she faced who she may have become had she let fear take over? Will her true self emerge? She will go on a journey, and she will learn what it truly means to love as a sister, as a queen, and as a woman.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this fanfiction.

**Chapter One:** Beginnings

* * *

_July 16th, midnight_

_As dresses go, this one—the one I made after I ran off to the North Mountain—is pretty, if I do say so myself. Hardly practical for bed though,_ Elsa mused, undoing her braid and putting on her nightgown. Lifting the winter she had accidentally caused and the emotional turmoil she had gone through in the past two and a half days had left her tired to the bone. Warm cotton replaced the icy silk against her skin. She crawled under the covers with a sigh and felt exhaustion seep from her body as she sank on the mattress.

It was a long day.

She was already drifting to sleep curled up on her side facing the door of her room when a soft knock on the door brought her back to full consciousness. Elsa groaned and screwed her eyes shut tighter. "Elsa?" a muffled voice asked from behind the door.

It was Anna.

She heard the door creak open when her younger sister let herself in. Soft footsteps followed, stopping by her bed. Elsa cracked an eye open to see Anna standing at the side of the bed with a sheepish grin.

"Do you know what time it is, Anna?" Elsa grumbled, burrowing under the covers to hide her smile. She didn't know why she was happy at having her sleep interrupted, but it might have been because she was glad Anna was there with her.

"Midnight. It's a new day!" Elsa lifted the covers from her head to see Anna still grinning at her, but was also wringing her hands nervously. "But actually—um...do you mind if I sleep here? Just for tonight, I promise! I mean...it's been so long and I—"

"Sure. The bed is big enough," Elsa cut in, ending Anna's rambling. If she let Anna continue, her sister would go on and on—though on the other hand, the rambling might lull her to sleep, she thought, pushing the blanket aside and moving over to make room. She frowned and remembered the last time she had allowed Anna to sleep beside her (she had been seven, Anna had been four). "You've outgrown kicking around in bed, right?" Elsa asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow as she stifled a yawn.

"You'll just have to find out." Anna smirked widely and flopped on the bed, twisting on her side to face her older sister on the bed. Elsa rolled her eyes affectionately and turned around to face Anna as well. Now fully awake, Elsa studied Anna's features, realizing how much time she had lost out on as she noted how much her younger sister had changed over the years. Elsa's scrutiny made Anna's smirk shrink into a small, uncertain smile. "I've missed this so much."

"Me too."

Anna pursed her lips thoughtfully. "So."

"Hmm?"

Anna shook her head, sighing. "We need to practice this sister thing more often," she said, flopping on her back. "What I had in mind when I came here was talking non-stop until the sun rose. Now I can't think of a thing to say." She grimaced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to complain—"

Elsa disagreed, shaking her head as well. "I understand. And I'm very glad you came." A moment of hesitation born from years of habit and isolation passed, and Elsa found the courage to squeeze Anna's hand from under the covers. Anna squeezed back.

_I think it's time for me to reach out instead._ "Your streak's gone," Elsa remarked, stretching out her other hand to trace where it was before.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Elsa bit her lip, searching for the right words to say. She feared Anna's reaction—anxiety fluttered against her chest, and the ice started creeping toward her fingertips. She willed it back and took a deep breath to calm herself. _Stop it. Fear got you in trouble in the first place, remember?_ "Do you know where you got it?" she asked.

"I was born with it, right? But I liked thinking I was kissed by a troll," Anna joked. Elsa's jaw tightened, wondering what her sister would say once the truth was out. "That's definitely not how I got it, right? Anna asked, focusing on the slight frown that wrinkled Elsa's brow.

"No," Elsa responded, pushing herself up into a sitting position. Anna followed suit and raised a curious eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Elsa folded her hands over her lap and took a deep breath to gather her courage. _I might was well get it over with,_ she thought. "You got it on a night like this," she began, fiddling with the hem of her blanket nervously. "I will never forget that night—September 19, 1827. You were five years old, I was eight. Autumn was starting to make way for winter...the nights were starting to get cold."

She laughed through her nose. "You were such a pest," she recalled fondly with a tinge of sadness. "You kept bugging me with 'do you wanna build a snowman?" You knew I had powers back then."

Anna's eyes were wide as saucers with disbelief. "I did? But how come...?"

"I'll get to that. Anyway, you were such a ball of energy, even the night can't keep you down. I always gave in when you wanted to play, thinking I'd be able to get you exhausted enough so I can get some sleep myself," Elsa continued, her gaze far away as she sifted through her memories. "I should have known better, though. I ended up having much more fun than I thought I would, so going to the throne room in the middle of the night to play in the snow became a habit for us." Elsa paused and glanced at Anna, who was uncharacteristically silent and patient. Her younger sister urged the older to continue, raising her eyebrows.

"That night started out like all others. You woke me up, we raced down the stairs to the throne room, and we played in the snow I created. I also made Olaf that night."

"Wait, so even then you could create living snowmen?"

"Huh? Oh, no—I mean, it wasn't our Olaf, but it looked like him. I remember hiding behind that snowman, making the hands move, and you laughed. It didn't take much to make you laugh."

"Still doesn't."

"Ha, yes," Elsa paused, knowing she was about to come to the painful part of her story. "But then, you started jumping on the piles of snow I created. You were going too fast, and I accidentally struck your head with my magic. That's why you had a streak in your hair."

"But how come I can't remember?" Anna asked, still in disbelief. Judging from her expression, Elsa guessed Anna was having a hard time reconciling her memories with what she just told her. "I remember the tickle bumps, and skating in the lake—"

"Grand Pabbie placed those memories in your head," Elsa cut in. "The tickle bumps, the skating—all of those happened in the throne room."

"Why did they do that? Why mess with my memories?" Anna asked, distraught. Elsa bit her lip and shook her head.

"At the time, it was thought to have been the best course of action to take to keep you safe from me."

"But it was an accident, and you were just a kid!" Anna protested vehemently.

"Even so." Elsa breathed in shakily. "I'm so sorry for hurting you, Anna. Then and up at the North Mountain."

"Oh, Elsa." Anna moved closer to her sister and hugged her tightly. Elsa stiffened at the unfamiliar sensation of Anna's warmth. "I wish you would stop beating yourself over that. I know it's going to take time—a long time, probably—but promise me that you'll forgive yourself eventually. I can't stand seeing you so sad."

Elsa nodded jerkily against Anna's shoulder. "I'll try," she mumbled, disentangling herself from her sister's hold and cleared her throat.

"So what happened next?" Anna prompted.

"Papa and Mama found us and took us to the trolls. Besides replacing your memories, Grand Pabbie was able to heal your head. When we got back to the castle, Papa ordered letting go of most of the staff, limited my contact with people, and hid my powers from everyone, especially you. I also started wearing gloves, because Papa said those would help. And they did, I guess."

"Oh, Papa," Anna sighed, disappointment coloring her voice. Both sisters fell silent, lost in thought. "So that's why you started wearing gloves. All this time I thought you had a thing against dirt," the younger one joked, breaking the heavy silence. Elsa picked up on Anna's attempt to lighten the mood and smirked.

"I admit that I'm a neat freak, but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. I mean, remember the time we made mud pies out of actual mud?"

"Yeah! The pie I made was pretty awesome, right?"

"I had to stop you from eating it, though," Elsa pointed out wryly, raising an eyebrow.

"Give me a break. I was only four!" Anna huffed, making Elsa laugh at her pouting face. _She looks so much like a four-year-old,_ she thought before sobering to continue with her story. Anna listened to every word.

"The day before my coronation, I visited Mama and Papa's graves. I told them I was angry at them for doing this to me—to us. I know they thought was they did was for the best. Still, I can't help but wonder what could have been if they hadn't done what they did." Elsa stole a glance at Anna and racked her brain for the right words to say how she had felt—still felt, actually—about her circumstance. "I've always wondered, why me? What did I ever do to deserve this, to be cursed with this?" She opened her palm to let a little puff of frost to escape before closing it into a fist. "It's not fair."

Elsa fell silent, letting Anna absorb everything she said. She watched her sister's face carefully for any reactions and saw how Anna's face slowly changed from serious to slightly mischievous. "What are you thinking?" she asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

Anna jumped out of bed and spun around to face Elsa. "You know, you're right, it's not fair what happened to you," she agreed. "But tonight...well, okay, first off, you're not cursed. Second, I've got a great idea." She grinned widely and impishly, planting her hands on her hips. Elsa blinked—for a second, thirteen years melted away and left a little pigtailed girl in place. She shook her head to clear it and bring herself back to the present.

"Okay...what is it?" she asked cautiously. Elsa knew Anna had something up her sleeve when she got that slightly manic look on her face. "What are you thinking?" she asked with wary curiosity.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

That startled a laugh out of Elsa. "What?"

"Do you want to build a snowman?" Anna repeated, looking at Elsa expectantly. Understanding dawned in Elsa's eyes.

"Sure, why not. Let's go!"

Giggling and scrambling out of bed, the sisters raced to the ballroom like they used to before.

_I can't undo the last thirteen years,_ Elsa reflected as Anna's laughter echoed in the throne room, _but this night is a new beginning for me._

_For us._

* * *

_July 30th, midnight_

The moonlight streamed through an open window, which also allowed the sound of crickets chirping and other night sounds to fill the room. The room itself was generously furnished—the walnut bed was fit for a prince, with heavy velvet drapes. On the side of the room was matching walnut furniture: a large desk supplied with writing materials such as reams of paper and bottles of ink, a bookshelf crammed with novels and political treatises, and a handsome cabinet. A small, cheerful fire blazed in the fireplace to keep the room warm, and an overstuffed sofa sat against a wall.

But for Hans, a prince of the Southern Isles now stripped of his title, it was a prison. He was currently under house arrest for the "despicable actions you have done against the country of Arendelle."

"Despicable?" he muttered to himself as he sat at his desk, staring out the window. "If anything, I was doing that damned country a favor, getting rid of a witch that had plunged it into an unnatural winter."

_You were so close._

Hans let out a snarl of frustration, standing up and grabbing the nearest bottle of ink to hurl it against the wall. He was interrupted by the door flying open, revealing a tall, thin man with hair the same rusty shade as his, disheveled and falling over his bespectacled eyes. The firelight reflected from his glasses, hiding his gaze from Hans.

"Throwing a tantrum, baby brother?" the man asked, closing the door behind him.

The scowl on Hans's face smoothed over into what he hoped was an impassive expression. "What's it to you, Thomas? Come here to give me another lecture? Or wait, let me guess—did you miss me?" he sneered, putting the bottle down on the desk. He turned around and crossed his arms across his chest, glaring at his third-oldest brother. Thomas stared back, cool brown eyes assessing him.

"Sit down," Thomas ordered. Much as Hans wanted to disobey, something about Thomas's tone made him do so. It galled him how easily his older brothers bent him to their will.

_You were so close,_ the mocking voice whispered once again. He ignored it and sat down, holding Thomas's gaze.

"Well? What brings you to my prison, brother?" Hans asked insolently, crossing his arms over his chest.

Thomas remained standing and pushed his glasses up his nose. "I have a proposition for you," he said without preamble. "Do you want to start over?"

Hans frowned. "Start over? What do you mean?"

"Listen carefully to what I'm about to offer you, Hans. If you're smart, you'd do well to consider it. It may be your only chance for redemption."

Hans snorted. Redemption? Please. He didn't need any redeeming. What he needed was—

"Well?"

He was powerless right now. But this might be the chance to turn things to his favor.

"I'm listening."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Two:** _Changes_

_February 25th, early morning_

Anna dreamed.

She was on a sled, speeding down the slope, the crisp mountain air stinging her cheeks and the wind roaring in her ears. As she approached the bottom, she could see Kai standing there, cupping his hands over his mouth and shouting something. The wind ate most of his words, leaving her to hear nothing but garbled gibberish.

"What's that, Kai? Can't hear you!" Anna hollered as the sled picked up more speed. "Yeah, I think reindeers are better than—" She was cut off by the sled hitting something, the impact sending her hurtling through the air. She felt she was floating through the air in slow motion—and knew she wasn't going to get hurt when she landed because there would be twenty fresh feet of powder down there. It'd be like landing on a pillow.

Hopefully.

But reality had a way of barging in dreams. Kai's insistent knock finally brought Anna back to the land of the living somewhat, making her jerk upright. "Huh?"

"Princess Anna?" Kai's voice, muffled by the door, asked. "Apologies for the disturbance, but it's time to get ready."

"Mmph...ready for what?" Anna slurred out, registering a vague sense of déjà vu at the back of her sleep-addled mind.

"It's Founder's Day, Ma'am."

"Hwwaahhh...my birthday tomorrow…Founder's Day today..." her eyelids drooped then snapped open when Kai's words finally clicked in place. "Founder's Day and my birthday!" she exclaimed, jumping out of bed.

And promptly tripped over the carpet when she took her first step.

"Ow...this didn't happen last time," Anna moaned, rubbing her left forearm, which caught the brunt of the fall. "Then again, last time this happened, stuff happened." She frowned, a bit of unease mixing in with the déjà vu as she remembered how Elsa's coronation day began. "Nah, everything's fine now. You're being silly, Anna." She slapped her cheeks, wincing when she hit herself too hard. "Besides, if that thing didn't happen, then you wouldn't have what you have right now, right?" she rationalized, thinking about how she got her sister back and how she gained Kristoff's...friendship.

Alright, fine, love. They hadn't said the words yet to each other, but they knew they were in love. It wasn't smooth sailing all the time because Kristoff had a tendency to be such a butthead, especially about bringing her along with him on his ice harvesting trips. To date, she remained unsuccessful in persuading him to bring her with him—sweet talking him or throwing a tantrum never worked. Even asking for it as a birthday present didn't. But he's certainly made it clear how he felt toward her, not so much in words, but in little ways that normally would've gone over her head if anyone other than Kristoff did it. She liked it whenever he placed a hand at the small of her back whenever they enter a room, or how he stepped protectively in front of her whenever they had to navigate through the busy market crowds, and how he immediately grasped her hand gently yet firmly in his warm, broad one whenever they're together. She felt her cheeks heating up at the memory of their first kiss at the docks. How broad Kristoff's shoulders felt under her hands, how warm his lips were over hers, and how sweetly and hesitantly he—

"Right. Anyway..." Her cheeks reddening, Anna clambered to her feet and walked to her dresser, sitting down before the mirror to tame her snarled copper locks. She found herself so preoccupied with the task that she never heard her sister knock and open the door when she didn't answer.

"Need any help?"

"Elsa! Sheesh, you startled me," Anna gasped, placing a hand over her thundering heart.

Elsa raised an eyebrow and took the brush from her. "I knocked three times," she countered, turning Anna around by the shoulders so she could face the mirror. She gathered her younger sister's hair and started brushing, her deft, gloveless fingers making quick work of the tangles, her eyes focused on what she was doing. Anna, despite being lulled by the gentle pulling of her hair, observed Elsa's reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a new outfit: a white shirt with three-quarter sleeves, a fitted blue waistcoat with silver buttons, and a gray skirt that fell halfway down her shins. Elsa wore her hair in a loose chignon instead of a tight bun, a few unruly locks escaping and framing her pale, delicate face.

Yet despite the change in Elsa's everyday style, she reminded Anna of someone—especially when she ran her fingers through Anna's hair to check for more tangles. "There. All done," she pronounced. "Do you want me to braid your hair for you too?"

Anna shook her head. "No. I mean, I can do it myself," she said, taking the brush from Elsa. "Thanks."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Elsa's face, which caught Anna's eye. "Sorry. It's just…for a second there, you looked like Mama," she blurted. "She used to braid my hair for me. I started braiding it on my own when she and Papa were...lost at sea."

_Seriously, Anna. Why'd you have to bring that up today, of all days?_ Anna wanted to kick herself. She thought she had already outgrown her uncontrollable tongue.

Apparently not. Being a year older didn't miraculously make her wiser.

But Anna was surprised when Elsa's face took on a gentle expression. "If I dyed my hair dark brown and wore it the way she did, I'd pass as Mama, wouldn't I?" she said, looking at her reflection.

"Yeah. And I got most of Papa's looks. Good thing I didn't get his nose though," Anna quipped, breathing a mental sigh of relief at Elsa's reaction as she rubbed her own nose.

Elsa made a thoughtful noise, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I wonder who in our family is blonde, though. If Mama and Papa were any indication, Grandfather Bertram and Uncle Richard were brunets, and Grandfather Raimond was a redhead," she mused, almost to herself. "Anyway, we'd better get dressed. Come on," she said, tugging on Anna's arm.

"Where are we going?"

Elsa smiled secretively. "To your birthday present. Here." She pushed Anna in front and blindfolded her before the latter could protest.

"Hang on, my birthday's tomorrow," Anna protested, letting her older sister guide her by the shoulders to wherever her present was.

"Are you saying you're willing to wait until then? Because I can postpone giving it to you," Elsa teased, stopping.

"You can't take your present back! Anyway, can I take this off now?" Anna huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, not yet." Anna heard a door opening, then felt Elsa take her hands to pull her into a room. "Wait here." She heard some shuffling noises, like furniture being moved around and curtains being swept back. At once she felt the warmth of the winter sun against her skin—the next thing she knew, Elsa had whipped the blindfold off her eyes. She found herself in the middle of a room, blinking against the sunlight.

"Well? What do you think?" Through blurry vision, she saw Elsa waving her arm out, flashing her an excited grin.

"Wait one second, let my eyes adjust and…whoa." Anna's jaw dropped. "Is this…is this a dressing room?"

"Yes. Our dressing room." Elsa smiled and took Anna's hands in her cool ones. "Happy early birthday, sis."

"Oh Elsa, how did you know?" Anna shot her an incredulous look. "How did you know I've always wanted a shared dressing room?"

"Actually, I didn't, until recently," Elsa admitted. "This was supposed to connect our rooms, but…well, you know what happened." She paused. "This room was shut for years, used for storage, until I overheard you telling Kristoff about how you wanted to share a dressing room with me. So I dug up old castle plans and had some renovations done." She walked toward the right wall and ran a hand over it. "There's supposed to be a door here, but there's no way I could keep making a doorway a secret from you before your birthday, so we'll just do some minor additional work here. The door's already done on my side."

Sure enough, there was a door on the opposite wall. Anna smiled and threw her arms around her older sister. "Thank you," she murmured. "This means so much to me."

Anna felt Elsa nodding against her shoulder. A shared dressing room sounded so innocuous, but considering what they've been through as sisters, it was definitely a fitting gift. _No more closed doors between us,_ she thought jubilantly, feeling Elsa tighten her embrace before letting go. "Well, then, how about we christen our dressing room, eh? I've got our dresses right here." With a flourish, Elsa directed Anna's attention toward two dummies.

The dresses were in the colors each sister favored, which were blue and green respectively, and largely similar. Elsa's consisted of a sky blue shirt with long sleeves, a royal blue velvet bodice with a square neckline and gold buttons, and a navy blue wool skirt. The skirt was embroidered with rosemaling along its hem, mostly consisting of Arendelle's royal crest, the crocus. Anna's dress was made up of a long sleeved white shirt, a black velvet bodice with a sweetheart neckline and silver detailing, and an evergreen-colored wool skirt. Like Elsa's, the skirt was embroidered with crocuses as well. Each dress had a matching cloak of blue and green that would keep them warm. Remarkably though, today's temperature was mild, similar to early spring rather than winter.

"Perfect for Founder's Day," Anna commented, running a finger over the bodice of her dress. "You know, one thing I noticed every Founder's Day—the weather's always nice, isn't it?"

"Mmm-hmm," Elsa agreed, peering out the window to see the winter sun shining brightly amid the clear blue sky. Founder's Day was celebrated every last Saturday of February, and it so happened that Anna's birthday was the next day. Anna guessed Elsa had decreed to make Founder's Day more festive than usual because she had wondered what fairs and carnivals are like. For a day, the city square was transformed into a large carnival. Later in the evening, a play will be staged about the Arngrim Arendahl, their mythical ancestor and founder of the kingdom of Arendelle.

Anna couldn't suppress a thrill of excitement for her birthday the next day—Elsa was going to throw a birthday ball in her honor. _Wow. A ball. In. My. Honor. Elsa's really spoiling me, but I'm not complaining!_ she thought, grinning widely. But as generous her older sister was, Anna knew it was also a calculated move because it was the perfect opportunity for Arendelle to drum up new business and trade. Arendelle was a mountainous, rugged, icy country—as such, crops and grain were mostly imported from Weselton. As a consequence of its duke's actions seven months ago, Arendelle had dropped Weselton as a trading partner. Anna knew Elsa had been corresponding with other nations for a possible trade agreement, considering how much time she spent holed up in her study in the past five months—she worked herself so hard that she came down with a particularly virulent case of colds at one point.

Yet despite her older sister's best efforts to show that Arendelle was a peaceful country that was only interested in trade, only a few countries had expressed interest in forging some sort of alliance. Luckily, Arendelle's council was prudent enough to have saved food provisions until spring, but Anna didn't think Elsa would like rationing out food. The Queen of Arendelle had her pride, after all.

As a gesture of goodwill, Elsa had also invited the Southern Isles to the ball after receiving a letter of apology from its king. She explained to Anna that it would be impossible to prove whether Hans was acting on his own or upon orders of the crown, so therefore the best course of action she could take was to give the Southern Isles the benefit of the doubt and keep a close eye on it. Anna relented grudgingly after Elsa further explained that Arendelle needs to show that it was a peaceful and mostly forgiving country.

"I guess I should be happy Weaseltown's not invited," Anna had said. "The other countries know that the duke tried to have you killed, so that's why we're not trading with them, anymore, right?"

"Precisely."

"Hmph, whoever the Southern Isles is going to send better not pull any funny business."

Snapping back to the present, Anna glanced at Elsa standing pensively by the window and decided she looked far too serious for a day filled with possibilities. Grabbing her sister in a playful chokehold, she dragged Elsa to the center of the room and declared, "Well, let's get dressed, then. I just know it's going to be a wonderful day, and I can't wait to get started!"

* * *

"What do you think, Sven? Perfect for Anna or not?" Kristoff asked the reindeer, which was contentedly munching on some carrots. The pair was at the stables, with Kristoff having just finished cleaning Sven up for the festivities later. The reindeer swallowed and eyed the thing his master held and snorted in response, nosing toward it.

"No, Sven, it's not a carrot. Besides, Anna's more partial to strawberries. Anyway, looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

"What looks good?" a voice from behind them asked, making both the ice harvester and reindeer jump. Olaf waddled in with his customary grin.

"It's just you," Kristoff breathed, his shoulders slumping in relief. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I was just walking around, shooting the breeze when I overheard you talking to Sven about a thing. So what's this thing you're discussing with Sven?" the snowman asked, peering up at Kristoff curiously. "Oooh, oooh, I think I know! It's for Anna's birthday, right?"

"Yup."

"So what'll you give her then?"

"This." Kristoff produced a slightly crude, palm-sized carving of…something. Olaf squinted at it uncertainly.

"Is that a carving of a pear? Why not give Anna a real pear?" the snowman ventured.

"No, it's not a pear. It's a lute! Can't you tell?" Kristoff said exasperatedly.

"Looks like a pear to me," Olaf remarked, shrugging.

"What, haven't you seen a lute before?"

"Nope!"

Kristoff rolled his eyes and scrubbed his face with his hands. Dealing with Olaf required the patience of a saint sometimes, and he was far from being one. He wondered how Elsa could've produced something like Olaf—knowing Anna's sister, he would've thought she'd come up with something as whip-smart as her, not something like…Olaf.

However exasperating the good-natured snowman could be sometimes, even a grump like Kristoff couldn't bring himself to outright admit that Olaf could be a little—alright, very—clueless sometimes.

"Okay, so that's a lute. I have no idea what a lute is, but why a carving? Why not give her a real one?"

"Anna doesn't play the lute. Besides, this is more of a reminder. I'm going to tell her today." Kristoff let out a breath, his palms suddenly sweating as he tried to remember what he planned to tell Anna.

"Tell her what?"

"T-tell her that..." the ice harvester gulped, attacked by a sudden bout of nerves. _Seriously, you're just an ice harvester, no matter what fancy title's been given to you. Man, you've got ambition, aiming for a princess!_

"That…?" Olaf prompted, raising his eyebrows.

"T-that I—"

"That you?"

"Thatitstruelovewithher," Kristoff mumbled, his eyes darting about nervously for anyone to hear. Olaf raised a hand to the side of his head where an ear would have been.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Aaaugh! Leave me alone, okay? Let me go psych myself up in peace!" Kristoff stomped out the stables, muttering under his breath.

"Sheesh, was it something I said?" Olaf wondered, glancing up at Sven with wide eyes. The reindeer shrugged—or at least, the closest thing a reindeer could do with his shoulders.

"Well, good luck, Kristoff!"

* * *

Kristoff saw Anna out of the corner of his eye raising an eyebrow quizzically at him. He knew it was probably because he looked slightly queasy the entire time they had been together today. As far as he could tell, she had fun with him—she managed to win a reindeer-shaped keychain for him at the ball toss, which made him feel both really happy and embarrassed at the same time. Shouldn't it had been the other way around, like him winning something for his girl? But Anna looked so proud of winning him something that it even if it didn't seem manly to do so—because usually, isn't it supposed to be the other way around?—he hugged and kissed her on the cheek. He knew she was dying to ask what was bothering him, and when she did, he answered by pulling her toward the docks where it was quiet.

"I need to tell you something," Kristoff said, scanning the surroundings to check if anyone was around. _Good. We're alone. Calm down, she's not going to bite—well, if she did bite me, I'll probably—damn it, man, stop right there! You're making her nervous!_

"What is it, Kristoff?" Anna asked, disentangling her hands from his grip. She faced him and wiped her hands on her skirt. "You're kind of scaring me here."

"What? No, don't be! I mean, this is a good thing, at least, I think so, and I just...uh..." Kristoff rubbed his neck and gulped. _Now or never, buddy. Go for it!_ He cleared his throat and reached for something in his pocket. "W-well, first I wanted to give you this. Happy birthday, Anna." He presented her the lute carving he showed Olaf earlier, which he worked on some more after leaving the stables. More intricate and smoother now, he had added some details like varnish and little crocuses along the border of the lute's body. Watching her carefully, he hoped she understood the significance behind his present to her and felt his heart kick double-time in his chest when an expression of befuddlement crossed Anna's features. _Please don't make me explain it,_ he pleaded silently.

"Um, this is really nice. You know, this carving of an avocado. Why does it have rosemaling, though?"

Kristoff's jaw dropped and his mind completely blanked. "A-avocado?" he croaked. He didn't even know what a damned avocado was, but he sure as hell didn't give her a carving of one!

"T-that's not…"

Anna seemed to realize how upset he was, probably because he was turning into an unhealthy shade of puce. "Kristoff, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly, grabbing his sleeve. "Are you feeling okay? Did you eat something bad? I knew it, that potato salad was a bad idea!"

Kristoff cleared his throat and forced himself to calm down. He tried to remember that he was with the girl he loved, who he was pretty sure loved him too. It was evident in the way her eyes shone whenever she looked at him, the way she always touched his arm every time she rambled on and on about how her day went, and the way she licked her lips nervously whenever he bent his head toward her for a kiss. He had never been in love—never even noticed girls, though he was observant enough to notice how the milkmaids in town gave him speculative looks whenever he sold his ice at the docks. But this girl had broken through his grumpy, taciturn shell with her talkativeness and tendency to trip on non-existent things. He wanted nothing more than to bundle her in his arms and never let her go.

Though now, he wanted to wave his hand over her eyes and ask her if she was blind. Couldn't she see it was a lute? Not an avocado, whatever it was?

"Anna, that's not an avocado. It's a lute. Or a carving of it, anyway."

"It is?" Anna looked at it doubtfully, turning it over in her hands. He watched, first in frustration and then in fascination, as understanding dawned in her face, her eyes widening in remembrance.

"Kristoff—are you saying…?

He rolled his eyes as a sense of relief washed over him. "Finally, she understands," he cried, throwing his hands up. But he stopped short, narrowing his eyes at her. "Do you?"

"It's true love!" she exclaimed, mimicking the exact tone she used the first time she uttered it—that is to say, while they were being chased by wolves while searching for Elsa.

If anyone passed by, he or she would have seen a weird tableau of the princess of Arendelle shoving something in the Royal Ice Master and Deliverer's face. The expression on the master's face was that of complete surprise, while the princess wore a fierce scowl on hers.

Of course, seeing how the two seemed to be having an argument, a passer-by wouldn't linger overlong.

Back to the tableau, Anna lowered the hand that held Kristoff's carving to his face, her scowl melting into a goofy grin. "Is that what you're saying with this?" she asked for good measure.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say, Feistypants." He winced and staggered back when Anna emitted a squeal, throwing her arms around his neck. He didn't object when she rained kisses all over his face, smiling as she did so.

"Oh Kristoff, I didn't think—I mean—"

"Just tell me you love me too," he said, lowering her back to the ground. She smiled and kept her arms looped around his neck, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair.

"Yes," she said quietly this time. "I love you, Kristoff."

He could only hope that one day he could say the same words with a straight face, or without having to rely on a carving of a lute to express his feelings and then having it mistaken for a fruit.

One more thing he loved about Anna: she was never a follower. And so, he followed her lead when she raised herself on her toes and kissed him with, he was sure, all her heart and soul.

Wherever she would go, there he would be.

The two separated, gazing at each other with starry eyes, until Anna frowned slightly.

"Um, Kristoff?"

"Mmm?" He was still seeing stars from that kiss, and grinned at her rather goofily. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing. Just that today's not my birthday. It's tomorrow."

"…Oh." After a beat, he said, "Well, that killed the mood."

Anna snorted with laughter. "Don't worry," she replied, looking up at him with that incredible smile which captivated him from the beginning and cupped his jaw with her hand. "I still love you anyway."


	3. Chapter 3

**Note:** Thanks to Hydroxide for making the previous chapter and this one a little better! I rewrote and reposted this because he was right—the last third sounded stilted. Then I got several other ideas, so...yeah, I'm pretty happy with this one now.

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Three:** Visitors

"Well, here we are. Arendelle. Charming country, isn't it?" a young man observed, breathing in the crisp winter air. He was dressed in finery that declared his noble status—a bright blue light cloak, sage green coat, cream-colored waistcoat, fuchsia cravat, gray trousers, and tall black hessian boots. His companion, who was similarly garbed, nodded in agreement, only he was dressed in dark, somber colors.

"Hard to believe this place was buried in snow seven months ago," the young man continued then winced, remembering that what he said was a sore spot for his friend. However, the other did not give any indication that he was upset, only making a noise of agreement at the young man's statement.

"Anyway, Weselton's loss is Corona's gain. The trade agreement will be signed on Tuesday, so let me know if you're hitching a ride back with me, Lars," he said.

Lars smiled and clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder in gratitude. "Thank you for the offer, Max. And congratulations on closing the deal, even if it's a little premature. It's your first one, isn't it?"

Max's lips twitched into a crooked grin. "Yep. The screwup finally did something right since inheriting the Easterton title," he said jovially, although the cheer did not reach his green eyes. Lars knew better than to pursue that line of thought and decided to change the subject.

"So what was Queen Elsa like?" he asked, clenching his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering as the winter breeze ruffled his wavy rust-colored hair and Max's black curls. Arendelle was a good deal colder than his country and he was still getting used to it. He was briefly envious of Max, who seemed to immediately take to Arendelle's weather.

Max rubbed his chin thoughtfully to recall how the meeting went. "She sneezed on me."

"Excuse me?" Lars raised an eyebrow. According to reports, the Snow Queen of Arendelle was the epitome of royalty—polite, prim, and proper. Gracious and hospitable toward guests. Reserved at best and cold at worst.

The pun was not intended.

He needed to know how to deal with Queen Elsa since relations between his and her country were very sensitive, and the last thing he needed was to make things worse. Of all his brothers, he didn't understand why he was the one who got sent to smooth things over—he was a soldier, not a diplomat. But a soldier never questioned his orders and always prepared for battle. He knew he shouldn't consider the queen as an enemy, considering the grievance his brother had committed against her. But he was the cautious sort, especially since he was charged to do something that was out of his depth. Unlike his brothers Thomas or Hans, he was not in possession of a silver tongue. _Once again, Thomas, what the hell were you thinking, sending me to be the Southern Isles's ambassador to Arendelle,_ he wondered.

"In hindsight, it was kind of funny," Max went on as they walked briskly toward the inn they were staying in while in Arendelle, the Twin Stags. "She was ill when I arrived, so Princess Anna took the lead in Arendelle's side of the negotiations. She was very good at presenting how Corona could stand to benefit from Arendelle's ice—then again, I suppose it's because of her relationship with an ice harvester. Nice fellow, that Kristoff—a bit of a grump though."

"Yes, and?" Lars prompted, a touch of impatience in his voice. He sidestepped around the children that were barreling towards them, guessing they were intent on reaching the carnival grounds. He felt a slight smile tug at the corner of this mouth. _It's been so long since I heard the sound of children laughing, he reflected. The citizens of Arendelle seem happy with their ruler._ He noted the smiles on people's faces as he and Max navigated their way through the crowd.

"Anyway, apparently the queen was curious about how the princess handled the negotiations and decided to eavesdrop. When she got caught, she sneezed and caused a blizzard in the great hall," Max went on, chuckling. "It was rather charming, actually, seeing her all flustered like that. Hardly the formidable Snow Queen I've heard of. And did I mention she was beautiful?"

Lars narrowed his hazel eyes warningly. "Watch yourself. Remember that the trade agreement's not signed yet."

Max rolled his eyes in response. "Yes, Mother," he groused as they entered the inn. Lars followed Max, who stopped by the front desk to retrieve their room keys. "I don't understand why other countries view her as a possible threat though. She's actually quite nice once you get over the fact that she has the power over winter." He gave Lars a sidelong glance. "I'm sure that with your polish, wit, and charm, you'll win her over and bring the Southern Isles back to Arendelle's good graces."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence," Lars deadpanned, taking off his cloak as they ascended the stairs to their rooms.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Anna couldn't help but sigh as she and Kristoff wandered around the city square, which was crammed with stalls selling wares and services ("Fortune telling's a service now?" Kristoff asked skeptically.), game booths, and street performers. It has been an hour since they had officially professed their love for each other, even if he didn't technically say the words. Still, he was a man of action than of words, so she didn't mind so much. _The words will come later—well, they'd better,_ Anna thought, tightening her grip on Kristoff's bicep fractionally. She still felt like she was walking on air despite that slightly depressing thought, with Kristoff's solid, burly arm keeping her grounded as they milled through the crowd.

Many of Arendelle's citizens recognized their princess—she was a common sight in the marketplace since she always met the ice master there so they could eat at Erik's tavern, or at the end of the day to accompany him back to his house near the castle. It was a gift from Elsa for helping Anna out seven months ago. He had tried to refuse, saying it was too much, until Anna had wheedled him into accepting it.

"You'll make me the happiest girl in the world if you accepted it. Please?" she had pleaded, staring up at him with wide eyes and a pouting mouth. Kristoff had remained stony-faced, until he capitulated with a sigh.

"Hard to say no to you, Feistypants."

A beat of silence had followed, and then, "So does that mean you'll take me ice harvesting tomorrow?

"No."

"I hate you."

"Anna?"

She started and looked up at Kristoff, who peered down at her with raised eyebrows. "Sorry, I was lost in thought," she admitted sheepishly. "What were you saying?"

"I said those guys," he motioned to her left, "are waving at you. Huh," he squinted. "One of them looks like that lord from Corona."

"Really?" she whipped around to see Lord Easterton making his way toward her, followed by a man she didn't recognize. "Lord Easterton! You came," she said, giving him a welcoming smile.

"Of course. There's no way I'd miss a fair. I must say, it's good to see you here, Your Highness," Max replied, bowing to her. "Master Kristoff, good to see you too," he said, extending his hand for Kristoff to shake. Kristoff took it with a small smile.

"Likewise," he simply said. "So who's that with you?" he asked with an upward jerk of his chin.

"Ah, yes, please allow me to introduce my good friend, Prince Lars of the Southern Isles."

Anna's smile froze, and at the corner of her eye she saw Kristoff darting a concerned glance at her. Max picked up on this and cleared his throat.

"Now, I understand that things are rather frosty between Arendelle and the Southern Isles—" he was cut off by when Lars put a hand on his shoulder.

"Really, Max? You choose to defuse a situation with puns?" Lars remarked, raising an eyebrow at his friend, who shrugged. "I'm a novice ambassador, but even I won't resort to that. Forgive the…unusual introduction, Princess Anna," he continued, turning to her, "but despite the situation between our respective countries, please allow me to say that it is a pleasure to meet you." He sketched a graceful bow, which seemed at odds with his broad frame. He was half a head taller than Max, putting him at the same height as Kristoff, though probably not as brawny. Up close, Anna saw that his eyes were a pair of thickly-lashed hazel eyes that had more brown than green in them, but while Hans's were wide and innocent, Lars's were narrower and had faint lines at the corners, giving him a stern look. And while the brothers shared the same hair color, Lars's was wavier and his sideburns were not as long as Hans's. He had a neatly-trimmed beard that framed his mouth, while his younger brother favored muttonchops and a smooth chin. His jaw was square to Hans's more angular one, and he had a deeper, gruffer voice compared to the other's practiced, cultivated tones.

Despite the glaring differences between the brothers, everything about Lars reminded Anna of Hans that it took her a minute to respond to him. She started when Kristoff nudged her.

"I…yes. But I can't say I feel the same way though," she recovered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I understand, Princess Anna. But all the same, please allow me to apologize for Hans's behavior. He is currently under house arrest while my brother King Ferdinand decides his ultimate fate."

Anna opened her mouth to say more but is stopped by Kristoff squeezing her shoulder firmly in warning. _Don't,_ his eyes seemed to say when she turned toward him. She decided to bite her tongue.

Mostly, anyway.

"Hmph. House arrest, huh?" she said instead.

"He is still our brother, and we are hoping to rehabilitate him. I am sorry if that doesn't meet your expectations."

Anna sighed at that. _Do I really want Hans to be…I don't know, punished really, really badly? I mean, he did try to murder me and Elsa to usurp Arendelle's throne._

"Just…don't try to pull any funny stuff, okay? Elsa's been through a lot."

"On my honor, Princess Anna."

"Yeah, that's what your brother said too." She shook her head. "Sorry. I know you're not…him. But you understand why I'm currently not too fond of the Southern Isles, right?"

Lars nodded. "I will do I can to restore my country's honor in your eyes, Princess. You can be sure of that."

"How?"

Anna could see that the prince was taken aback by her forthrightness, but she wasn't taking any chances. Elsa had gone on a self-imposed exile for thirteen years to protect her—therefore, it was now her turn to protect her older sister. She knew she was also in danger of triggering a diplomatic disaster, but something about his manner gave her the gut feeling that he was telling the truth and didn't mind her bluntness.

"I honestly don't know, Princess Anna. But if the opportunity to do so comes, I hope you will give me a chance to prove my word is true."

"I might have to take you up on that, Prince Lars." Anna turned to go, but stopped short as if she remembered something. "Did he really have twelve older brothers?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

At this Lars smiled wryly. "Hans's honor may be questionable, but on that matter he was honest with you. What he didn't say was that his mother and mine was our father's third wife. I'm his oldest full brother, and the eighth oldest among the lot."

"He's the unlucky thirteenth son, then."

Something darkened in Lars's eyes. "Yes, he is. But that doesn't excuse his actions against you and Queen Elsa."

An awkward silence fell like a blanket among them, until it was broken by Max. "Well then. We'll just wander around and enjoy ourselves with the entertainments your Founder's Day can offer us, right, Lars?" He elbowed the prince.

"Ah. Yes. Your country really is quite lovely. Arendelle seems to be flourishing under Queen Elsa's rule," Lars said, which made Anna bristle.

"Of course it is, because Elsa's working herself to the bone," she retorted. "Well, enjoy yourselves, gentlemen. Elsa's invited you to my birthday ball, so I guess I'll see you there too." With those words, she marched off, followed by Kristoff who shot them a slightly apologetic look over his shoulder. Anna heard Max say something over the din of the crowd.

"That went rather well, didn't it? Your polish, wit, and charm bowled the Princess over. I'm sure you can't do any worse with the Queen."

"Shut up, Max."

* * *

_…I do hope your country would consider trading with mine. It would be beneficial to_

The sound of a quill scratching on paper filled her ears as Elsa crossed the unfinished sentence out with a bit more force than needed. Sighing, she leaned back on her chair and pressed the heels of her cool hands against her tired eyes to soothe them.

_Remind me again why I signed up for this?_ she asked herself. _Oh, right. You didn't. This was what you were born to do._ Her gaze drifted to the portrait miniature of family, painted when she was about four years old, which sat on the desk. _You know what I would have wanted to be if I wasn't queen, Papa? That's the sad thing. I don't._

She cast her mind back to one of the earliest lessons her father had taught her about being a ruler. She had been five years old; it was right after church, a bright spring day. The royal family had gone on a picnic at the meadow outside the castle gates. Fields upon fields of crocuses were in full bloom, and Elsa was keeping a close eye on Anna, who was running around in wild circles among the flowers.

"I hope your sister isn't driving you crazy, Elsa," her father remarked, watching his younger daughter's attention being diverted by a dragonfly. Elsa shook her head.

"No, it's okay. She's pretty funny," she replied, smiling up at him. Agdar returned her smile with one of his own and sat on the grass, facing her. She saw him glance up and nod, making her turn her head to see her mother walking toward Anna to supervise her. Both Agdar and Elsa decided then it was safe to take their eyes off Anna.

Agdar plucked a blossom. "Do you know what kind of flower this is?"

"It's a crocus. My tutor said so." She tilted her head, as if trying to remember something. "It's everywhere in the castle, like in the plates and wallpaper. Why is that, Papa?"

"The crocus is the official crest of Arendelle." Seeing his older daughter scrunch her forehead in confusion, Agdar continued to explain. "A crest is a symbol—a sign. You know what signs are, don't you?" Elsa nodded solemnly, sensing her father was about to teach her something new. She loved it whenever he did that—she was a curious girl, always asking how and why things were, which delighted her tutors.

"Would you like to know why the crocus is the official crest of Arendelle?"

Elsa bit her lip, thinking hard. "It's a really pretty flower?" she ventured. Agdar laughed at her guess.

"Yes, you're right, crocuses are very pretty. But what makes it pretty is what it symbolizes. Rebirth and spring. You see, Arendelle is a land of brief, yet beautiful springs and summers, followed by long winters. The crocus is a reminder that whatever winter brings, there is always hope, and when there is hope there is life. With life—"

"There is love. Am I right, Papa?" Elsa interrupted, wanting to show off how smart she was to her father. He nodded approvingly.

"Yes. What is our family motto?"

"Love will thaw," she recited dutifully.

"Very good, Elsa. Always remember that, and you will be a good queen," Agdar said, tucking the crocus blossom in her ear before whisking her up on his shoulders, making her shriek with laughter.

Elsa felt her throat tightening at the memory. Feeling maudlin, she stood and walked up to her father's coronation portrait. Though her eyes were ice blue and her father's were jade green, she distantly noted how their eyes shared the same seriousness.

_Déjà vu, isn't it, Papa? I stood in this same spot seven months ago, anxious and scared. Many things have changed since then, though,_ Elsa thought, taking in her father's stiff-backed posture. For one thing, it was strange to refer to this room as her study—she still felt she was a girl dressing up in the clothes of a queen. She had prepared to become the queen almost her whole life, with that memory the earliest lesson she could remember, and had been crowned and had ruled for months now. But in her mind, she still referred to this room as her father's study.

_I've opened the castle gates and hired new staff. Now that my powers are known to the world, what's the use of keeping them closed? That's why I decided to invite a number of nobles from other countries to Anna's birthday ball, to show that I'm not hiding anything anymore. On a practical standpoint, we do need additional staff because while Kai and Gerda kept the castle in top shape, they're getting old for the heavy responsibility of keeping everything in order._

_Our people seem to have accepted what I am. But what made them accept me just like that? Loyalty to our family? Considering the past thirteen years, that's amazing. I can't say the same for the rest of the world…well, I can't blame them for being wary and afraid of me. That's probably why most of them have not responded to my trade offer when I cut Weselton off. They heard how I lost control over my powers, and from reports I've gathered, they're afraid of what might happen if I lose control again._

_I'm not surprised by that, though. My powers are tied to my emotions, and you know how concealing how I felt had turned out. With Anna's help, I've gained more control over my powers._

_Anna and I…well, I can't say that our relationship's perfect. It was awkward at first because it was like getting a new sister all over again. But you know Anna—someone would have to have a frozen heart not to warm up to her._

She frowned and bit her lip. That's what worries me. _How dependent I am of Anna. She's certainly taken our family motto to heart. I'm not sure if I have. I was only able to stop the winter I caused back then because of her. But what will happen if I lose her again? Would I just fall to pieces like I did? When Hans told me that Anna was dead, when I heard the sound of a sword being pulled out of a scabbard, I didn't care at all that I was about to be killed. Anna saved me then died for me. I can't…I can't go through that again._ Her hands clenched into fists, and she felt the unwelcome yet familiar feel of ice creeping down her arm. She took a deep breath to calm herself then shook her head to clear it of dark thoughts.

_I know I can't afford to think that way, Papa. The people of Arendelle depend on me—I can't submit to weakness like that again. I need to be strong, not just for Anna, but for Arendelle. And I'm afraid I'm not quite there yet._

Three sharp raps on the door brought her out of brooding. "Your Majesty, are you ready?" Gerda asked from behind the door, her voice muffled. "It's already five o'clock. The play starts at half-past six."

"Thank you, Gerda. I will come out shortly," Elsa replied.

_I haven't been back to visit you and Mama yet. I'm sorry. But I will, once I can say that Arendelle will be alright in my hands._

_I am trying. I hope you can see that._

With that last thought, Elsa spun on her heel and walked sedately out of her father's study—she really should start referring to it as hers—with her head held high as befitting the Queen of Arendelle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

**Note: **I decided to change the title from To Thaw a Frozen Heart, to Her True Self briefly, to this one right now. I was playing Persona 4 Golden on my PS Vita when, in the middle of a battle, I realized that "Reach Out to the Truth", which was P4's battle theme, fit my plans for this story. So now, this is titled as such. Oh yeah, play Persona 4 Golden. It rocks.

* * *

**Chapter Four:** Shadow of Doubt

"You know, this is a great idea, bringing back the Founder's Day Play. I just wish it had a more exciting title than 'Founder's Day Play'," Anna said, making air quotes as they ascended the steps of the makeshift covered balcony. As the royal sisters of Arendelle, Elsa and Anna were seated atop the balcony that afforded them the best view of the play. "I never got to go to one, but you did, right, Elsa?"

Taking her seat, Elsa smiled as she remembered attending her first play, which was the one she and Anna were about to watch. She had been deemed old enough to sit through a play and stay past nine o'clock at the age of seven. Before attending her first play though, her mother had attempted to tell her the story of her ancestor.

"A long time ago, there lived a prince from a faraway land. His name was Arngrim. He was loved by many people because he was kind, brave, and strong," her mother began. "But one day, he saw a noble of his clan beating up an old servant. He tried to stop it, but accidentally killed the noble when he did. His enemies saw it as their chance to condemn him."

"What's condemn, Mama?"

"Uh…to blame. Now, where was I? Ah yes. So the incident—"

"What's incident?"

"Something that happened. So the incident was Arngrim's accidental killing of the noble," her mother continued. "Anyway, his enemies saw this as their chance to banish him—"

"How come Arngrim had enemies, Mama? I thought everyone loved him," Elsa asked, her forehead scrunching in confusion. Her mother smiled and shook her head, a mixture of amusement, pride, and mild exasperation on her face.

"I really have to get you started with etiquette lessons," she remarked. "And before you ask, etiquette means manners. So that means we'll have to get you started with lessons to improve your manners. It's not polite to keep interrupting people. But," she held up a finger when Elsa's face began to fall, "it's good that you're curious. When you don't know something, always look for the answer. The truth will set you free. Or so the saying goes." Her mother shrugged and bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "Time to go to bed, my little ice princess."

"Elsa?"

Elsa snapped out of her reverie to see her younger sister waving a hand over her face. "Sorry, you were saying something?"

Anna rolled her eyes. The doors are open between them now, which made it easier for Elsa to see how her tendency to shut herself off in her own little world was beginning to get on her sister's nerves. "You know, you really should stop doing that."

"What am I doing?"

"This!" Anna demonstrated, her face turning inscrutable. Absently, Elsa noted how good Anna was at imitating people. "Elsa," Anna placed her hands on Elsa's cheeks to look at her dead in the eye, "You have to be here in the now, okay? Sometimes, when you think you're alone, I see you with such a faraway look in your eyes," her hands fell to her lap. "Why?"

Elsa managed a reassuring smile. "If you're worried about me brooding, please don't," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm reminiscing, I guess. Mostly about the good times. It helps."

"Oh." Anna visibly deflated. Elsa knew Anna had been prepared to drag her out of an imagined funk, and felt a little guilty at how her revelation had taken the wind out of Anna's sails. It was a half-truth, at most. "Well, that's good. Anyway," she took a breath to change the subject, "I'm kind of bummed Kristoff can't sit with us. The view's much better here, and he's stuck down there," she said, referring to the benches lined up before the makeshift stage that was set up in the castle courtyard. Elsa saw a light blush running along the bridge of Anna's nose at the mention of the ice harvester's name, making her raise her eyebrow.

"Are you blushing?" Elsa asked, tilting her head curiously. Her younger sister leaned back against her chair, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her left ear.

"What? No," Anna said defensively. Elsa narrowed her eyes, pinning the other girl with a scrutinizing look.

"Liar. If anything, you're turning red as a tomato now," she playfully accused, tugging on one of Anna's braids.

"That's because you're staring at me! You're making me self-conscious," Anna huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Come on, Elsa, stop staring at me!"

"You started blushing when I said Kristoff's name—ha! You're doing it again! Spill it, something happened between you two," Elsa persisted with a teasing grin, which grew when Anna stubbornly refused to answer. "You do know that I can have Kristoff brought up here to answer my questions. After all, I'm the queen."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" Elsa said sweetly. "Oh, Captain Schmidt," she trilled out, cupping one hand against the side of her mouth. "Will you—" she was cut off when Anna tamped a hand over her mouth.

"Alright, fine, you win! Look, it's nothing, okay? He, uh, well…earlier today he—we—um—toldeachotherwelovedeachother," she breathed out, looking away. Elsa's initial reaction was to arch her eyebrows in surprise, but as the shock wore off, she felt her mouth stretch into a smile of approval. Anna glanced back at her and raised her eyebrows as well.

"Wait, so you're okay with it?" she asked.

"Of course I am. I'm so happy for you, Anna," Elsa answered, squeezing her younger sister's hands in her own. But as she did, she felt something twinge in her chest that she couldn't identify. Before she could figure it out, Anna continued speaking.

"Ah...yeah," she said, abashed. "He didn't say exactly that he loved me, but he did give me this." Reaching into the pocket of her dress, she took out the carving Kristoff gave her. Elsa gave it a puzzled glance as she took it from Anna.

"It's...half a gourd?" she guessed, raising an eyebrow.

"Supposed to be a lute, or so Kristoff says." Anna shrugged.

"Why a lute?"

"Long story. Will tell you later, because it looks like the play's about to start." Anna pointed to the stage. Sure enough, a hush fell over the crowd as a man walked out into the stage.

"A long time ago, when the land we know and love as Arendelle has not yet come to be, there lived a prince..."

The narrator's voice faded away as Elsa felt herself going back in time to her childhood, remembering the rest of the story. As it went, his enemies gained the upper hand and tried to have the Council of Elders sentence him to death.

"The ground where innocent noble blood was spilled was sacred! The prince committed the crime before the altar of the Goddess of Winter. With the season only about a fortnight away, what he had done will bring twice as much evil luck!" one of his enemies accused him. "I say we offer up his head as a sacrifice to appease the Goddess!" At this, Prince Arngrim remained standing calmly, looking at his accuser with a steady gaze.

"And what about the innocent servant, my lords?" he countered quietly, addressing the Council. "As warriors and noblemen, do we not have the duty to protect those under our rule? Royalty and nobility are given this power, for with it comes great responsibility. We have not been given this power to abuse those who cannot defend themselves."

_With great power comes great responsibility,_ Elsa mused, her hands fisting in her skirt as the play unfolded onstage. She had always viewed her powers as a curse, something that had ripped her away from her family and growing up normally. Fear had kept her from using it at all; it was only in the past few months that she used her powers without hesitation. But there was always a voice of caution whispering at the back of her head, telling her to hold back and be careful where she aimed. She didn't know if that whisper was because of her cautious personality, or if it was a remnant of the thirteen years of fear she spent growing up. Or was she even cautious? After all, she had thrown caution to the wind when she ran away to the North Mountain during her coronation, leaving her kingdom in the grip of a vicious winter.

At that, Elsa realized how sad it was that she didn't truly know who she was. Was she really the self-assured ruler these past seven months? Or was she still the scared little girl who flinched at the slightest contact?

She knew people were made up of shades of gray. But thirteen years of being told what to do, of living with exacting standards, left her paralyzed with indecision at the worst of times. Banning Weselton as a trade partner, for instance, was a decision that left her agonizing for days after she had pronounced it so. Keeping Weselton on as a trading partner would give the impression that Arendelle is a vulnerable country with a pushover for a queen. To counter that possibility, she had written a strongly-worded letter to the duke that he and anything that came from his country was not welcome in Arendelle, and that he if so much as placed one foot within Arendelle's borders, there would be consequences. Yet after sending the letter off, Elsa felt a stone sinking in the pit of her stomach.

The last thing she wanted was war.

But she had already given the word to ban Weselton, and had to live with the burden of her decision. Weselton had been a very important trading partner and a rising military power to boot, and its loss was keenly felt by Arendelle's economy. Luckily, the prosperous Corona was willing to fill the vacuum Weselton left, and it took all of Elsa's skill not to show how relieved she was at having averted another disaster. _It's a good thing I know how to put on a mask,_ she thought grimly. _Otherwise…well, I don't know. So far, I've been lucky. But how long will my luck last?_

"Wow, look at that! Those guys Kai hired are good," Anna commented, snapping Elsa out of her brooding. Her sister motioned to the stage, pointing at the elaborate set pieces that depicted a Viking longboat which carried Arngrim and his loyal followers and their families. Instead of getting sentenced to death, Arngrim's supporters managed to get him banished instead of executed. Nodding in agreement with Anna's statement, Elsa forced herself to follow the rest of the story.

Prince Arngrim and his followers found an enticing fjord fit for habitation. Unbeknownst to them, the fjord was a favorite haunt of the Goddess of Winter. Angered by the intrusion, the Goddess demanded they leave. But Prince Arngrim, seeing how tired his followers were in traveling the rough seas, humbled himself before the Goddess to ask if they may stay. He gave his oath that they will always keep the land safe; they will strive to keep it peaceful. Touched by Arngrim's humility and sincerity, the Goddess felt her heart warm a little toward this mortal man, and allowed him and his followers to settle in her sacred land. She decided to keep an eye on him to make sure he kept his promise, and before long, she fell in love with the prince.

"Oooh, so does that mean we're descended from a goddess?" Anna elbowed Elsa, her eyes twinkling. Elsa grinned at her enthusiasm, feeling her earlier dark mood lightening—it was exactly the sort of thing that appealed to her younger sister's romantic sensibilities.

"Ha, I doubt it." Elsa snorted and wiggled her fingers near Anna's face to let out a puff of cold air, ruffling the latter's bangs. Anna laughed and ran her fingers through her hair to fix the mess Elsa made.

"Come on, Elsa! Ice powers, hello?"

"There are no written records of Arngrim aside from our family tree, and historical texts that mention Arngrim's name only popped up during Bjorn the Bold's reign."

"You and your books. Spoilsport." Anna rolled her eyes and grinned at Elsa to tease her about her adherence to the written word. "Anyway, that made me think...what would happen if I had powers like yours?" she wondered idly.

"Every day would be a snow day," Elsa deadpanned. "And you would've still bugged me about building snowmen."

"Yeah, probably," Anna agreed. "What's it like? You know, having powers?"

Elsa raised her eyebrows in surprise, looking at Anna. "You know, nobody's asked me that before," she answered. She looked up and scrunched her forehead thoughtfully. "It's kind of hard to describe, but...I just will it, I guess," she continued. "For example, if I wanted flurries to shoot out of my palm, I just think 'go,' and give it a push with my mind, and it just shoots out of my hand. Like I'm asking someone to do my bidding. Does that make any sense?"

Anna blinked. "Um. Yeah, that was clear as mud."

Elsa rolled her eyes and decided to ignore her sister in favor of the play, which was, if her memory served her right, about two-thirds through. The last third involved the courtship between Arngrim and the Goddess of Winter.

Frankly, she found Arngrim's story to be a little…boring. _No exciting battles?_ she wondered, thinking about the other plays she had read while isolated. Stories of adventure, friendship, trust; of betrayal, battle, and intrigue. Arngrim had led a charmed life despite getting banished, since he gained the love of a goddess, established a kingdom, and was assured by the other gods that his line would remain unbroken for a hundred generations. Like what she told Anna, she doubted Arngrim even existed; surely his story was conjured up by another ambitious, arrogant ancestor. _Thank you, Bjorn the Bold. Your ego gave us a mildly entertaining play to see every Founder's Day. Anna was right about the title though. Pity._

After the accident with Anna, Elsa had pored over the castle's library over the possible source of her powers. She raked over her family tree, trying to figure out if someone before her had powers like hers, and had in the process became quite familiar with her family's history. Bjorn the Bold, for example, had been reportedly jealous of Weselton's and Buckland's family legends, and claimed that Arngrim came to him in a dream to tell him how the Arendahl line was established.

The scene onstage was the marriage between Arngrim and the Goddess. Sneaking a glance at her sister, Elsa noted how Anna's eyes sparkled at the lavish wedding ceremony unfolding before them. Following her gaze, Elsa saw that the actor portraying Arngrim was tall, broad-shouldered, and blond. _I bet she's imagining her own wedding to a certain blond ice harvester,_ she thought fondly. But as she did, the earlier pang she felt in her chest after Anna confessed what happened between her and Kristoff made itself known once again. It took Elsa a minute to figure out that what she felt was envy.

She didn't consider herself as a romantic like her sister, but that didn't mean she was immune to it. She did wonder what it felt like to be cherished by someone who wasn't family, but at the same time, the notion made her skittish. _I suppose it has something to do with the whole "giving yourself to your other half" thing—I mean, you wouldn't want to give the "you" that's full of flaws, right? You'd want to give your best self, _she thought._ And right now, despite what Anna or my people might think, I'm far from perfect._

_Anna doesn't belong with me anymore,_ Elsa realized, observing the girl seated beside her before wrenching her gaze back to the play. _I lost that chance thirteen years ago, when we were so close. Sure, we've found each other again, but she belongs with Kristoff now. It's only a matter of time before they decide to get married. He's not royalty, but if Anna wants to be with him, I will do everything in my power to make it so. It's the least I can do for her. And if it hadn't been for him, I would have lost Anna completely._

She sighed ruefully and stole another glance at Anna, hoping she didn't hear her. Another truth came crashing down on Elsa as she watched Anna's smile grow dreamy when the actors onstage kissed to seal the wedding between Arngrim and the Goddess.

_I...don't want to be alone. I want to share my life with someone._

Her musings ground to a halt when the curtain fell abruptly and the lights went out. Elsa was too far away to ascertain what was going on, but were there scuffling sounds from behind the curtain? Frowning, she leaned forward on her chair, gripping the armrests. "What's going on?" she asked. "Is the play over? Just like that?"

Anna was frowning too. "No, I don't think so," she said. Turning to Elsa, Anna shrugged. "Technical difficulties, I guess?" Murmurs of confusion rose from the audience, and some of them started shouting to get the show back on track.

Then the curtains rose and the lights flared back to life briefly, then dimmed to reveal a giant of a man clad in black on center stage. He wore a grotesque half-mask. Squinting against the weak yellow light, Elsa racked her memories for such a character in Arngrim's story. Was there a giant involved?

"Descendants of Arngrim Arendahl," the figure intoned, his deep voice resonating throughout the open courtyard, "Know that I am the God of War and Chaos, and I stand before you and your people to tell you of what I had prophesied: you who come after the hundredth generation," the giant paused for effect, causing a hush to fall over the audience. Elsa felt her breath catch in her throat as the figure pointed straight at her and Anna, and she instinctively stood up to shield her sister.

"You will bring ruin to the world!"

* * *

**Note: **Cliffhanger. And this gave me a headache, because 1) I slept through the only play I've ever watched, and 2) it's kinda cheesy? I don't caaaaare, it's my story, hahahaha! Seriously, all comments and constructive criticism will be very much welcome. Of course, one of Elsa's lines here came from Uncle Ben. You know which one it is.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

**Note: **Reviews would be really, really nice, because I'm a little mystified why this isn't getting as much reviews—in my humble opinion, this one is better than the old version (To Thaw a Frozen Heart, which I've deleted and had previously gotten a better number of reviews). Please let me know what I'm doing right and/or wrong here because I'd like to improve. The Goddess of Winter's name was taken from the Old Norse word _vetr_. Also, I've deleted and reposted this because I've made so many little changes. If you've read the original version, you aren't missing much because I just tweaked some stuff that needed some clarification. There were some lines that didn't dovetail neatly from the previous chapter. The basic premise of this chapter is still the same, but this one is more polished grammar-wise. I think. So beta readers willing to volunteer as tribute would be nice too.

* * *

**Chapter Five:** Generations

Most Arendellians consider themselves as practical folk. Life in Arendelle was simple because everybody knew their place. While the few suspicious ones thought it was strange that the castle gates were closed prior to Queen Elsa's ascension, most citizens only shrugged and went about their daily business. As long as their livelihoods were unaffected, justice was served, and things were peaceful, Arendellians could say that the royal family was beloved. King Agdar the Fourth was known as the Recluse King because he had closed the castle gates, but his reign was marked by peace and prosperity. Arendellians had believed that his daughter would continue his legacy.

Little did they know that everything they believed in had changed once Queen Elsa, first of that name, became their ruler seven months ago. For one thing, the practical ones who thought that myths were something to help their children go to sleep began to wonder about magic. Some who were believers of the One God began experiencing a slight crisis of faith—did pagan gods really exist? Considering that the Founder's Day Play explicitly showed that the Arendahls are descended from the Goddess of Winter…did that mean the Snow Queen was the reincarnation of the Goddess?

And now, this supposed curse. With the Frozen Summer seven months ago, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe there is a curse upon the Arendahl family that would bring ruin to the world, would it?

"We're doomed!" someone shouted amid the confused murmurs.

"The Duke of Weselton was right, this land is cursed! The queen has cursed this land!" yelled another as the murmurs grew louder.

"What will we do?" a third one wailed over the din of the crowd.

Meanwhile, the figure remained standing, his arms folded across his chest, glaring at the queen from behind the mask. On the other hand, the queen remained rooted in her spot, her arms still outstretched to shield the princess, her pale skin turning positively ashen.

Anna had enough. She stood up and pushed Elsa out of the way, put two fingers into her mouth and emitted a piercing whistle that caught most of the crowd's attention. "Hey!" she screamed, uncaring at all if she sounded undignified. "Shut up and think! Do you seriously believe that guy? In case you haven't noticed, he called himself the God of War and Chaos! You're playing into his hands! He's just some actor!"

"That I am, Princess Anna," the figure responded. "I am but a vessel of the God of War and Chaos. My work here is done."

He barely finished speaking when the Queensguard swarmed the stage, surrounding the figure. "I don't care if you are a god, but you're under arrest for inciting public disorder!" Captain Schmidt barked. "Get him!"

A blinding flash erupted from the center of the stage as smoke poured out from the left and right sides, quickly obscuring everything. Elsa blinked to clear her vision and managed to snap out of the daze she had been in. She joined Anna, who was rubbing her eyes as she leaned against the guardrails of the makeshift balcony. "Dammit," Elsa muttered under her breath as she surveyed the thick blanket of smoke obscuring the pandemonium below. Making split-second decision, she laid a hand on Anna's shoulder and said, "Stay here."

"Wait, Elsa—where are you—hey! Don't go in there, are you crazy?"

She ignored Anna and pelted down the stairs of the makeshift balcony, grabbing a guard's arm along the way. "Have the rest of the castle guard calm the crowd down. Don't let anybody leave. We need to know who is behind this," she ordered tersely. With a smart salute, the guard ran off to do his queen's command.

Elsa recoiled when she reached the courtyard, a wall of smoke engulfing her. She covered her mouth with one hand and waved the other before her, trying to dispel the choking smoke. _Wind,_ she thought, frowning in concentration and to block out the noise. Guards were shouting over the panicked cries of the crowd, ordering them to calm down. _I need wind to clear the smoke away._ She forced herself to relax by schooling her face into a blank mask, focusing instead on the need to protect her people. Clenching her fists, she raised her arms and waved them, uncurling her hands to create a blast of arctic air to banish the smoke.

_It's not enough, _she realized with alarm as the smoke rolled back in place, the tide of fear rising within her. _I need to get to be somewhere higher. Come on, think! Where is the best place I can do this?_

"If you're going to do what I think you're going to do, you should have told me," an annoyed voice called out, interrupting Elsa's frantic thoughts. Whipping around, she saw Anna running toward her. "Come on, I know the best spot where you can do your thing." She grabbed Elsa's arm and tugged her toward the castle.

Nodding wordlessly, Elsa dashed after Anna into the castle, up the stairs, and into the room that had a balcony which provided the best vantage point of the courtyard. Anna threw the doors open and stepped back. "There. Now go do your thing and prove you're not cursed!"

"Thanks, Anna," Elsa replied, flashing her sister a brief and grateful smile over her shoulder. Stepping out into the balcony, she closed her eyes to concentrate, furrowing her brow. _Strong, arctic wind,_ she visualized as she breathed in deeply, slowly raising her arms over her head. The cacophony below faded away as she dug deep within herself, tapping into her well of emotions. _I'm doing this to protect my people. Please let me do this._

It wasn't an outright yes, but something stirred within Elsa, as if to reassure her that the power she commanded will do her bidding instead of go out of control as it had in the past. She heard Anna gasp behind her and knew that she was nearly done in calling forth the arctic winds—she could feel it swirling above her head and over the chaos below. She kept her arms in a parallel position over her head for another second—then, releasing the breath she held, she abruptly brought her palms down. The blast of arctic wind followed her movement, rushing down onto the crowd to dispel the thick, cloying smoke. She discerned she was successful when she heard the crowd below her gasp. Opening her eyes, she noted with a mixture of pride and chagrin that that while her control over her powers was getting better, what she had envisioned didn't quite go as planned. For one thing, she only wanted wind, not wind and snow. The people below her were thankfully unharmed, though covered with a light dusting of frost.

"That could have gone better," Elsa muttered. Even from afar, she could see the dazed expressions of the crowd. Fortunately, most of them were wearing appropriate winter clothing.

"It's nothing a couple of hours warming up before the fireplace and some hot soup couldn't fix. You've got ice powers, not wind powers. You did the best you could," Anna tried to reassure her, patting her shoulder.

Elsa sighed wearily, feeling older than her twenty-one years. "Come on. Damage control awaits us."

_Sometimes, I wish I just stayed up the North Mountain._

* * *

"Thank the One God that's over," Anna exclaimed, flopping on Elsa's bed facedown. She twisted around so she can be on her back, splaying her arms out. "What was that all about?"

Elsa rubbed her throbbing right temple and squeezed her eyes shut, sitting on the bed as well. She sent a prayer of thanks that she had good people working for and with her. Mayor Thorvald, Kai, and Captain Schmidt had taken charge in restoring order and doing damage control after the incident. Before she left them to their work, she had told them that she wanted a full report as soon as possible, no matter what the hour.

"I don't know," Elsa answered Anna. "I can't think of a reason why someone would do that. Stir up trouble in Arendelle? What for? What has Arendelle done?"

"I'm sure it was Hans," Anna seethed, getting up to sit cross-legged. "Like, he escaped and paid goons to do his dirty work."

Elsa shot her a quizzical glance. "What do you mean?"

"Oh yeah, guess I never told you—I met the guy the Southern Isles sent to attend my ball tomorrow earlier today. Prince Lars. Eighth of the bunch. He told me Hans was stripped of his title and is under house arrest," Anna explained, scowling as she cracked her knuckles.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "And you're not satisfied with that?"

"I don't know! I mean, it would be great if they sent back that jerk here so I can beat him black and blue, but that's not going to happen because, and I quote, we are hoping to rehabilitate him. That's what Lars said after he told me Hans was under house arrest. But I don't want him beheaded or anything, either. The question is, how do you rehabilitate a guy with a frozen heart?"

"With a lot of time and patience, I guess."

"Wait, what? You're not mad that that's only what they did to Hans?" Anna asked disbelievingly.

"I also think that punishment's rather light, but I don't want Hans's head on a platter either," Elsa agreed, folded her hands on her lap. "Look, Anna, forget Hans for now. At this point, all we can do is speculate."

"I sense a 'but' in there somewhere."

Elsa sighed, her face troubled. "I know I'm being silly," she began, grabbing a pillow to hug it to her chest and raised her eyes slowly to meet Anna's scrutiny, "but what if the curse was true?"

Anna blinked. "Wait, what? You, the fervent believer in logic and order, think that silly curse is true?"

"I just have this gut feeling that it might be true. And besides, is this—" Elsa shot a light flurry toward Anna's face—"logical? Logic dictates that humans shouldn't have ice powers, and I do." Her heart hammered against her chest like a caged bird as she recalled what the giant onstage said: "You who come after the hundredth generation will bring ruin to the world."

Because if she remembered her genealogy correctly, her father was the sole member of the hundredth generation of the Arendahl family.

_I have to know for sure._

A faint voice whispered within her, telling her to be careful, beware, and that she is about to face her greatest trial. Elsa shivered, opening and closing her hands to keep the telltale frost from forming. She didn't want to worry Anna. _Wonderful. I'm hearing voices now. Another thing to mark me as different from most people,_ she groaned inwardly, trying to shake off her anxiety. She told herself that it was just her old habit of being overly cautious rearing its ugly head.

She stood up and walked resolutely toward the door of her room, jostling Anna from her comfortable position on the bed. "Wha—Elsa, where are you going?" Anna asked. She paused and turned, her hand resting on the doorknob.

"Going to the library to check something. Care to join me?"

Anna scratched her cheek as she debated whether to join Elsa or not. "You're going to check if Papa's the hundredth generation, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Wait up, I'm coming with you." Anna scrambled off Elsa's bed and followed her out into the darkened hallway and down the stairs. The night seemed peaceful; it was hard to believe that some hours earlier the castle courtyard was the scene of absolute bedlam. As the sisters walked along the Hall of Portraits, Elsa glimpsed how the moonlight from the large windows cast eerie shadows on the paintings. She continued walking and stopped when she reached the last portrait—a painting of King Agdar the Fourth and Queen Idun. Anna joined her and twined her arm around Elsa's.

"Papa and Mama would be so proud of you, you know," she said softly, looking up at the painting of their parents.

"I'd like to think so."

"I know they do, wherever they are," Anna said. Elsa nodded and stared at the portrait for another minute, drawing strength from the sight of her mother's slight, reassuring smile. She clenched her jaw to prepare herself for what she might find out—the library was just a few feet away from where they were now. Gently disentangling herself from her sister's hold, she walked the short distance toward the library door. She wiped her slightly clammy hands on her skirt before grasping the heavy brass handles of the library door to push it down. The door opened with a creak which sounded unnaturally loud in the stillness of the night.

"Spooky," Anna whispered, trailing behind Elsa as she strode toward the bookstand that held the tome containing her family tree. Grunting softly, she lifted the tome from where it rested and carried it toward the nearest desk, flipping it open to the first page. Of course, in proud, bold lettering, Arngrim's name was written at the very top of the family tree, and his wife was listed as Vetra, the Goddess of Winter. Elsa started when Anna rested her forearm on her shoulder to peer at the book.

"I thought you said Arngrim didn't exist?"

"Let me clarify: I said I DOUBTED the Arngrim as shown in the play existed. I think he really did, but his real origins had probably been obscured over the years," Elsa corrected. "I mean, one hundred generations…that's probably around three thousand years, assuming each generation was counted every thirty years. This book," she tapped the page she was on, "was compiled during Great-grandfather Mildor's time. By then, Bjorn the Bold had already perpetuated the myth that the Arendahl line was descended from Vetra."

"Interesting."

"Isn't it? Oh, darn it, you made me lose my place," Elsa grumbled. "Now I have to start over again."

"Sorry."

Anna sat quietly as Elsa began counting once more. Only the sound of rustling paper broke the silence. The names swirled before Elsa as she ran her finger down the pages. With a pang in her heart, she remembered that day back when she was twelve years old, when her powers had become increasingly, alarmingly erratic—she had tearfully told her parents not to touch her for fear that she might harm them. She had spent the rest of the day at the library, feverishly researching about her ancestors to see if any one of them had abilities similar to her own.

The next day, Elsa had found herself slumped over the desk with a blanket draped over her. Her dedicated, frenzied first effort was proven to have been futile. But she had never given up—whenever she found herself with an unexpected block of free time nowadays, she would go over her family's histories, because what if she just missed something?

_Another trait of the Arendahls—stubborn,_ she contemplated wryly as her finger passed Kristoff the First. Amused at her discovery, she nudged Anna, whose eyelids were starting to droop.

"Hey, look at this—one of our ancestors is named after your sweetheart," Elsa said, tapping the spot where Kristoff the First's name was written. Anna immediately perked up.

"Where?" she demanded, pulling the tome toward her to get a better look. "Oh, there it is—wow, I'm going to show that to MY Kristoff tomorrow," Anna said, bouncing excitedly. "Say, do you know anything about that Kristoff?"

"His story probably isn't thrilling, I'm afraid," Elsa replied. "He ruled during a period of long prosperity. See here," she pointed at Kristoff the First's predecessor, "he followed the reign of his father, Johan Longbeard. Johan ruled for fifty years, which probably left Kristoff with not much time to establish some kind of legacy. Look, he only ruled for about ten years," she said, pointing at Kristoff the First's entry.

"Oh."

She chuckled at Anna's crestfallen expression. "That's the thing, our ancestors had ruled over a mostly peaceful land," Elsa explained. "There were a couple of skirmishes and wars here and there, but we're so far up north that we're not really that affected by what's going on with the rest of the Continent."

"R-right…" Anna stifled a yawn, nodding.

Elsa noted with concern at how tired Anna looked. "You don't have to stay with me the whole time, you know," she said softly. "If you're tired, go to sleep. I'll be fine."

"Nah, I'm good," Anna denied even though Elsa could see her stifling another yawn. Shaking her head at her sister's mulishness, she continued what she was doing. The sense of dread slowly heightened as the number climbed. _Ninety-four, ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine…_

She stopped. The name written for number ninety-nine was King Raimond the Second. Her father was next. Which meant…

"Elsa? Are you okay?" Anna asked, shaking her shoulder. "You don't…look so good."

She turned toward her sister, her eyes wide and fists clenched to hold the ice in her veins back. "Anna. Father was the hundredth generation," she said hollowly. "King Agdar the Fourth was the sole member of the hundredth generation of Arendahls. Which means…"

"We're the hundred and first generation," Anna finished slowly. Leaning over, she read the names below her father and mother's names. "Queen Elsa the First. Born Elsa Alexandra Juliana Arendahl on July 12, 1819. Princess Anna Maria Sofja Arendahl, born February 26, 1822." She stared at their names for a moment before turning to Elsa.

"So what's the problem?"

Elsa bit her lip. Anna was right. _What was the problem? Just because some disgruntled person decided to stir up trouble by saying something about a curse doesn't mean it will come true, won't it? Maybe I'm just being paranoid._

Elsa's neck prickled when she felt Anna's eyes on her, but she kept staring at the page blankly to calm her racing heart. She supposed the distress kept rolling off her in waves, because she heard Anna sigh and stand up to hug her. "You know, we should wait for Kai's report about the incident earlier today," Anna murmured, stroking Elsa's hair soothingly. "I'm sure it was just Hans and his goons. Don't worry about some stupid curse."

Elsa nodded numbly and let Anna pull her up to her feet. "Let's go to bed now, okay? It's my birthday ball tomorrow!" Anna chirped, clapping her hands excitedly, her mouth stretched into an excited grin. "Oh yeah, thanks for having Kristoff fitted out with a suit. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure he'll look really cute."

Elsa saw the anxiety lurking behind Anna's blue eyes and knew that the cheerful act was for her benefit. She tried to muster an answering smile at Anna's efforts. "You're welcome. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing him squirm from wearing a suit. He's not used to formal wear, isn't he?"

"You're so cruel to subject my beloved to such torture!" Anna said dramatically.

"If he loves you, then I'm sure he'll endure a few hours in a stuffy suit. How are the dance lessons going, by the way?"

"Oh, I told him to surprise me. I'm pretty sure he'll be lumbering around the dance floor though. Have you seen him skate? He's hopeless. But you know, it's the effort that counts," Anna replied, waving a hand. "I'll probably need your ice powers to soothe my aching feet after he steps on them."

Elsa raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "There's no way I'll give you a foot massage."

"Oh, come on. Please?"

"You know, you should have more faith in Kristoff. He might surprise you. Sweep you off your feet." Elsa held back her smile. Aside from the suit, she had also signed him up for dance lessons because she knew how much Anna loved to dance. Kristoff had surprisingly risen to the challenge, managing to master dancing the waltz gracefully. Unfortunately, that was the only thing he could master in time for Anna's birthday ball.

"Ha. Maybe. Let's see."

Elsa managed to forget her worries for a little while by bantering with her sister as they headed toward their rooms. But her anxieties came rushing back as she changed out her dress and into her nightgown. She had only begun accepting her powers, and now, some crackpot claimed she was cursed. _Stupid Duke of Weselton. Stupid Hans, _she mentally grumbled. _Why am I even so worried about this? I told Anna that it's doubtful we're descended from a goddess. So why should I believe that curse? _she rationalized as she stepped out from behind the changing screen and walked toward her bed.

Flopping on her bed face down, she ignored the faint warning whispers, squeezing her eyes shut before twisting around to sleep on her side.

_You will face your greatest trial yet, Elsa Arendahl. Be prepared._

_Be prepared for what? _she wondered as she slipped into slumber despite her troubled and confused thoughts.


End file.
